Trolley-retractor.



L, B. STANLEY.

TROLLBY RBTRAGTOE.

APPLIOATIOH' FILED MAB..19. 1909.

978,95 3. Patentgd Dec. 20, 1910.

.LUCEAN B. STANLEY, OF COLLINWOOD, OHIO.

TROLLEY-RETRACTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec, 20, 1910,

Application filed March 19, 1909. Serial No. 484,561.

7 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUGEAN B. STANLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Collinwood, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Retractors,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to trolley retractors and is designedparticularly as an improvement over devices of that sort now in use andis of a character such that it eliminates to a considerable extent allchances of the trolley doing any damage before it is drawn down upon thetop of the car.

More specifically the invention relates to a device wherein a springacting upon the joint of a pair of toggles is adapted to force thetrolley against the wire and when the former leaves the latter, toretract the trolley and pull it down out of danger upon the top of thecar.

Still more specifically the invention relates to a suitable supporthaving the trolley pole swiveled thereto and suitable toggle arms one ofthe free ends of which is secured to the top of the car, and the otheris secured to the trolley pole, together with a spring adapted to bearagainst the joint of the toggles, when they are shifted in onedirection, and to force the trolley wheel against the wire and to bearupon the same point when the trolley moves up from the wire and throwthe toggles past the center, thus permitting the trolley to drop ontothe top of the coach or car.

Further invention resides in certain features set forth in the followingdescription, drawings and claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a carprovided with my improved device; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of thetrolley with my improved mechanism applied thereto; Fig. 3 is a similarview showing the trolley as it has jumped from .the wire; Fig. 4 1s asimilar view showing 1s a top plan the trolley retracted; Fig. 0 viewpartially in section showing the mounting of the trolley pole in thesupport; Fig. 6 is an elevation partly in section of the sup- ..port;and Fig. 7 is a modified form of my improvedretracting mechanism andshowing a pneumatic device for resetting the mechanism.

In carrying out my invention any preferred form andconstruction of partsmay be employed provided they possess the necessary characteristics, butI have shown one form in the drawings which meets the requirements withgreat efiiciency, and in such embodiment 10 represents the top of thecar to which is secured a suitable support 11 provided with a groovedroller 12 and a forked or bifurcated end 13 in which is pivoted a member16. This member 16 is provided with a socket 17 opening out at the endof the member 16 and receiving a rounded portion 18 secured to the endof the trolley pole 19 which is provided with the usual trolley wheeland harp 20 cooperating with the trolley wire 21.

Secured at some point upon the trolley ole is a block 22 provided withan opening or receiving a pin 23 passing through the ends of a pair oftoggle links 24 which, at their opposite ends, are pivoted to a block 25rigidly secured to a rod 26 which is guided and passes loosely throughan open ing in the support 11. The trolley pole is divided at the block22 to permit the pin 23 to pass through the center of the blockand theparts of the. pole are secured in the openings in the block 22 bywelding or by any other suitable means. Pivotally secured to the pin 25is another pair of toggle links 27 pivotally secured at their lower endsto a bracket 28 fastened upon the top of the car.

Surrounding the rod 26 is a spring 29 interposed between the block 25and the support 11 and arranged in a manner such that when the pairs oftoggle links are broken to the right, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or whenthey are broken in the direction of the support -11,'the spring 29 isunder tension and this tension through these toggles is brought to bearupon the trolley pole to force its wheel against the trolley wire, butwhen the trolley leaves the wire and moves upward, the toggle isstraightened, and the tension of the spring breaks them toward the left,as shown in Fig. 4:, so that the trolley drops down toward the top ofthe car and is retracted so that it may do no damage.

In order to reset the trolley or to raise it toward the wire a rope orcable .30 is provided, and this cable passes up over a suitable pulley31 secured to the top of the car, preferably at the rear, thence forwardaround the grooved wheel 12 and is secured in an opening 32 in thetoggle links 27.

In operation the trolley retracting mecha nism is in the position shownin Figs. 1 and gle links connected to the top of the car and 2, but uponthe trolley leaving the wire, the tension of the spring 29 causes thetoggle mechanism to straighten and pass to the left beyond the straightline position when the trolley pole will drop upon the top of the car.The conductor or operator then grasps the usual trolley rope to guidethe trolley laterally, raises the trolley by pulling upon the rope 30which, through the arrangement just described, draws the toggle linksback into initial position against the tension of the spring 29 whenafter the trolley Wheel has been placed under the wire, the rope 30 isreleased and the spring 29 is free to cause the trolley to bear upagainst the wire.

The resetting rope already described is a I very simple mode ofresetting the trolley,

but I prefer to utilize the mechanism shown in Fig. 7 wherein a support83 is provided with an enlarged opening 8% and a compressed air cylinder35 having a stuffing box 36, a piston 37 and piston rod 38 which hasswiveled to its end a link 39 connected to the pivotal point 4-0 of thetoggle links 41 and 42 which are connected to the trolley pole l3 and abracket 44 on top of the car in a similar manner to the otherconstruction. A suitable supply pipe 4-5 is provided on the left end ofthe cylinder and controlled by suitable valve mechanism not shown by theconductor or operator. In operation the normal position of the togglesand trolley is the same as that described in connection with the otherconstruction, but upon the trolley leaving the wire, the piston is drawnby the spring 39 to the left and in the resetting compressed air isadmitted to the left end of the cylinder 35 through the supply pipe -l5when the piston through its rod and the link 39 will pull the togglelinks to the right, and when the trolley wheel is adjusted under thewire, the air is then released from the cylinder by the operator, andthe spring is free to force the trolley wheel against the trolley wirein a well known manner.

In all instances the manipulation of the trolley pole laterally ispermitted by the joint formed by the socket 17 and the rounded portion18.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. In a trolley pole structure, atrolley support, a trolley pole swiveled thereto, tog: gle linkspivotally connected to the pole and to fixed part, suitable meansadapted to bear against the joint of the toggles to cause them when inone position to force the trolley toward the wire and upon the releaseof the trolley to assume another position and cause the trolley to dropupon the car, and means engaging the toggle links for returning them tothe initial position for forcing the trolley against the wire.

2. The combination with a car, of a trolley support, a trolley poleswiveled thereto, togdirectly to the trolley pole intermediate its ends,a rod guided in the support and con nected to the joint of said togglelinks, and means for forcing the joint of the toggle links in adirection to cause the toggle arms to force the wheel in engagement withthe trolley wire and when the wheel leaves such wire to cause thetrolley pole to drop upon the top of the car, and means for resettingthe trolley.

3. The combination with a car, of a trolley support, a trolley poleswiveled to said support, a trolley wheel carried by said trolley pole,a toggle link secured to said trolley pole intermediate its ends,another toggle link secured to the top of the car, said toggle linksbeing pivoted together, a rod secured to the pivotal point of the togglelinks and guided in the trolley support, a spring between the pivotalpoint of said toggle links and the trolley support and adapted to have atendency toward shifting said toggle links in a direction to cause thetrolley wheel to engage the wire when said toggle links are in oneposition and upon the trolley wheel leaving the wire to cause saidtoggle links to move into another position and pull the trolley downtoward the top of the car, and means for resetting the trolley.

4;. The combination with a car, of a trolley support, a trolley poleswiveled in said support, a trolley wheel carried by said trolley pole,toggle links pivoted together and having their ends connected, one withthe trolley pole and the other with the top of the car, means normallytending to shift said toggle links in a direction such that when thetrolley wheel is upon the wire it is normally held in such position bysuch means, but when the trolley pole leaves the wire it normally tendsto pull the trolley pole down toward the car, and a suitable motor forresetting said trolley pole.

5. The combination with a car, of a trolley support, a trolley poleswiveled in said support, a trolley wheel carried by said trolley pole,toggle links pivoted together and having their ends connected, one withthe trolley pole and the other secured to the top of the car, meansnormally tending to shift said toggle links in a direction such thatwhen the trolley wheel is upon the wire it is normally held in suchposition by such means, but when the trolley pole leaves the wire itnormally tends to pull the trolley pole down toward the car, and apneumatic cylinder carried by said support and provided with a pistonand piston rod, connections between said rod and said toggle linkswhereby the trolley may be reset by shifting the toggle links.

6. The combination with a car, of a trolley support, a trolley poleswiveled in said support, a trolley Wheel carried by said trolley pole,toggle links pivoted together and having their ends connected, one Withthe trolley pole and the other secured tothe top of the car, meansnormally tending to shift said toggle links in a direction such thatwhen the trolley Wheel is upon the Wire it is normally held in suchposition by such means, but when. the trolley pole leaves the Wire itnormally tends to pull the trolley pole doWn toward the car, a pneumaticcylinder carried by said support, a piston therein, a piston rod, a linkconnecting the end of said piston rod and the pivotal point of thetoggle links whereby upon the charging of air upon one side of thepiston, said 15 toggles are returned to normal position and the trolleymay be reset.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

LUCEAN B. STANLEY.

Witnesses C. H. TRESCH, B. W. BROCKETT.

